Registration & Administration Questions ↓

What if I want to change my team count after signing up?

YES! You should be able to make these types of changes on our registration page in RunSignUp. If you have questions, please email us.

What is the refund policy?

Teams may cancel their registration by emailing us directly to coordinate refunds. Refunds will be based on the published entry fees and will not include Run Sign Up fees. Teams looking to transfer their entry to another team may do so up to 1 week prior to race day, but teams are responsible for coordinating finances themselves and then communicating the team change to us directly. Please see each race info page for refund deadlines.

Race Day Questions ↓

Will maps be pre-plotted?

YES! No plotting!

Can we see last years maps?

Check out our race instructions and maps from previous years under the race archives dropdown.

Do the activities happen sequentially, ie. Bike, then trek? Or can we chose any order in which we do the activities?

The event order or options will be shared in the race instructions that you receive at check-in on race day. For an example of what you might expect, check out our race instructions and maps from previous races under the race archives dropdown. I recommend you check in as early as possible on race day to maximize your planning time.

Is there a single transition area where we can store gear, or do we need to pack all gear with us for the entire race?

More details on this will be shared at race check-in, but to be best-prepared, plan to carry all gear for entire race.

Is there a possibility we could encounter bears or other dangerous animals?

Our staff has not encountered any black bears while working on course design this year, but use good sense out there!

What do we do in case of emergency?

If it is truly an emergency, please call 911. There will also be an emergency plan in your racer instructions.

What kind of bikes should we bring?

While normally we require mountain bikes for adventure races, my goal is to make Stubborn Fool as accessible to new racers as possible and I don’t want to turn anyone away because they don’t have the “right” gear, so anything goes for bikes! For the 2025 race, you can expect most of the bike course to be on pavement.

Will portions of the race be broken up or will we be biking XX miles all at once?

You should expect some of the disciplines of the race to be broken up. For example, the race might go something like this: Trek/Run 2 miles, Bike 6 miles, Trek/Run 2 miles, Bike 10 miles. It may be helpful to review some previous race maps and instructions which are available under the race archives navigation dropdown.

Will we be required to perform UTM plotting for this race?

Nope! Maps will either be pre-plotted or there will be a master map from which to copy.

Can we use an electronic odometer on the bike, as long as it does not have GPS?

Yes, an odometer that determines distance based on wheel size and number of rotations is a-ok. An odometer or any other device that has GPS capability is not.

What if we want to record our route so we can review it after the race, but do not have a device that runs in AR mode?

Your device must be sealed such that you cannot view the display during the race. An easy way to do this is to wrap the device in a sheet of thick paper or an envelope, tape it shut and place it in a water proof bag. Leave the device sealed and stowed throughout the race.

Are you allowed to go to your car once the race has started? I’m not saying drive anywhere😀, but during transitions?

Yes, teams are encouraged to use their vehicles and area near their vehicles as their transition area or base or aid station.

Process for using your watch.

1. Notify us at the start line that you are using your Garmin in AR Mode. We will record you as using your approved Garmin at this time.

2. If you use a non-approved GPS watch of any kind during the race you will be penalized per the race rules.

3. On race morning start your device immediately prior to the race start.

4. We suggest using screen-lock during the race to avoid too many accidental button presses

5. When you cross the finish line, proceed to the timing table where we will be collecting finger sticks. At this time you can stop your watch and allow the race official to confirm the start and stop times.

Can we use our Garmin GPS in AR mode?

Yes. We will use the process from USARA nationals as a model:

Garmin specifically designed AR mode to not allow access to any GPS-based data (speed distance etc.)

Data screens in this mode cannot be customized, and you cannot leave this mode once active.

When started, the watch can only be stopped ONCE. Once it is stopped, you are done with that activity.

The watch records your start and finish time and displays that immediately after your activity is done.

We will be inspecting watches at the finish line to ensure that your start time is at or before the race start time and that your finish time is at or after when you crossed the finish.

If we cannot confirm these two times your team will be DQ’d. Please take this into consideration before choosing to use your Garmin in AR mode. You MUST know how to use it properly.

AR Newbie Questions ↓

What is a "CP"?

A CP is a check point, they are each worth one point.

What is a “TA”?

A TA is a transition area, where you will be switching one from event to another. For example from biking to paddling.

In reviewing past course instructions, some clues were for things like: reentrant, spur, or saddle? What are those!?

Here is a really good article about various features that you may be looking for: http://www.bushwalking101.org/interpreting-map-features/.

We’ve never done anything like this, how hard is it?

I would expect a team of new racers to be out on the course for 5-6 hours. While that may sound long, I think you’ll find that the time actually goes very quickly as you will be transitioning between disciplines throughout the day. That said, this race has a choose-your-own-adventure format, so while you will be required to bike, paddle, and trek/navigate on foot, you can choose to spend more time in one disciplines over the other.

What is pace counting?

Pace counting is keeping track of the distance you covered by counting your steps. You can use the scale on the map to determine how far you need to go, and then you can count your paces to measure the distance you cover in the real world. This article explains this concept pretty well: http://www.orienteering.mb.ca/adventure-o/racing-tips-orienteering-4. And this is a good series about navigation in adventure racing: https://miadventurerace.com/learn-more/tips-2/.

What do we do if we get lost?

Recovering from getting lost is a big part of the sport. We’ve all been there! You will always be fairly close to roads and major highways. It is a good practice to keep a recovery plan in mind, so that if you get lost, you know which direction to go to get to the nearest road/highway.

At the race transitions, will there be race staff to make sure the hardware (bikes, bags, etc.) is secure?

There will be staff in and around the transition areas, so that should reduce the risk of a non-racer wandering into the area and helps themselves to anything. However, it is difficult for our volunteers to regulate which teams access what gear. While we do our best to keep an eye on things, we cannot guarantee that nothing is going to go missing. My recommendation is to 1) label all of your stuff 2) lock up anything you are truly concerned about and/or take it with you, and 3) don’t leave the high value/tempting items laying in the open.